It's Our 17th Blogoversary and a Giveaway to Celebrate!

Today is our 17th blogoversary! It's hard to believe that I started this blog 17 years ago. 

When I began this blog in 2006, I was just dipping my toe into the writing waters. I had developed a chronic pain condition that year that left me unable to work a traditional job, and I was seeking a way to help support me and my kitties while I waited on the Social Security Administration to make a decision about my Disability case. 

At the time, I was writing for Associated Content (which later became Yahoo! Voices). I was researching more opportunities when I ran across people talking about blogs. A blog? What is that?! 

After reading about them, I decided, what the heck, I'll try it! So, on December 15, 2006, Fur Everywhere was born. This was our first post. 

I began this blog with the intent to share information with other cat lovers. When I moved out to Colorado on my own with Lita, I was as green as they come when it came to cat care. I didn't even know that you had to transition a cat to a new food slowly. I wanted to share what I was learning about cat care with others. 

I started this blog with Lita and Carmine as well as my fiance's (at the time) cat, Emma. And it didn't take me long to find The Cat Blogosphere. Some of our earliest commenters were Victor Tabbycat, Lux, and Artsy Catsy.

So much has changed over the past 17 years. We lost Emma in 2007. I met Jewel in 2010 and began renting a room from her former human in 2011. Suffice it to say that that wasn't a good situation. I moved out in 2012, and shortly after that, Jewel joined our little family. But it wasn't until 2013 that her former human finally allowed me to officially adopt her. Sadly, Jewel went to the Rainbow Bridge in 2014. 

In 2018, Lita went to the Rainbow Bridge, and Tylan joined our family. 

Earlier this year, I lost my best friend and heart cat, Carmine. He was almost two years old when we started this blog. He lived to the ripe old age of 18. 

Giovanni, the newest member of our family, joined us this past June. 

It's sad that the founding cats of this blog are no longer with us, but they will live on in the hearts of everyone who loved them. 

This blog has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. I was just starting out as a writer when I created this blog. Since then, I've had the pleasure of working with many brands and companies. I never would have dreamed that I'd actually have an anthology (Purrseverance) coming out next year!

I never would have guessed that I'd meet such amazing people through this blog, but that's exactly what happened. I've had the opportunity to connect with some awesome cat lovers along the way. I even met my bestie through this blog!

Thank you to everyone who is taking this journey with us - whether you've been following us for years or just stumbled upon this blog today - I appreciate each and every one of you. You are the reason I keep this blog going. And I hope and pray that you've found something here to inform or inspire you or something that made you smile. 

It's a Giveaway

To celebrate our 17th blogoversary, we're having a little giveaway! Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter.

This giveaway is open to everyone 18 years of age and older. Void where prohibited. The winner of the giveaway will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond. A failure to respond to the winner notification email within 48 hours will result in forfeiture of the prize. 

Good luck, everyone! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway